US9129911B2ActiveUtilityA1

Boron-doped carbon-based hardmask etch processing

Assignee: DOAN KENNY LINHPriority: Jan 31, 2013Filed: Jan 30, 2014Granted: Sep 8, 2015

Est. expiryJan 31, 2033(~6.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:Kenny L. Doan Jong Mun Kim Daisuke Shimizu

H10P 76/4085H10P 50/695H10P 50/287H10P 50/283H10P 50/267H10P 50/246H10P 50/242H10P 50/73H10P 50/71H10P 14/6902H10P 50/285H01L 21/31122H01L 21/02115H01L 21/31116H01L 21/30621H01L 21/31144H01L 21/3146H01L 21/0337H01L 21/31138H01L 21/3065H01L 21/32136H01L 21/32139H01L 21/3086

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Claims

Abstract

Boron-doped carbon-based hardmask etch processing is described. In an example, a method of patterning a film includes etching a boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with a plasma based on a combination of CH 4 /N 2 /O 2 and a flourine-rich source such as, but not limited to, CF 4 , SF 6 or C 2 F 6 .

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of patterning a film, the method comprising:
 etching a boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with a plasma based on a combination of CH 4  and N 2  and O 2  and a flourine-rich source selected from the group consisting of CF 4 , SF 6  and C 2 F 6 . 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein etching the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer comprises using the flourine-rich source to remove boron from the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer by forming a volatile species selected from the group consisting of BF x , BH x F y , wherein x and y are non-negative numbers. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein etching the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with the plasma comprises first etching with a first set of plasma conditions, and then etching with a second, different, set of plasma conditions. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first etching with the first set of plasma conditions and the etching with the second set of plasma conditions comprises using a same set of gases with differing flow rates for the first and second set of plasma conditions. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , wherein first etching with the first set of plasma conditions comprises etching using a chemistry based on approximately 40 sccm COS, approximately 105 sccm O 2 , approximately 20 sccm CF 4 , approximately 20 sccm N 2 , approximately 50 sccm CH 4 , and approximately 100 sccm Ar, and wherein etching with the second set of plasma conditions comprises etching using a chemistry based on approximately 40 sccm COS, approximately 105 sccm O 2 , approximately 20 sccm CF 4 , approximately 20 sccm N 2 , approximately 50 sccm CH 4 , and approximately 100 sccm Ar. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first etching with the first set of plasma conditions and the etching with the second set of plasma conditions comprises using a same pressure for the first and second set of plasma conditions. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein first etching with the first set of plasma conditions comprises etching at a pressure of approximately 10 mTorr, and with a combination of biases at 2 MHz, 60 MHz and 162 MHz performed at powers of approximately 200 W, 200 W and 100 W, respectively, and wherein etching with the second set of plasma conditions comprises etching at a pressure of approximately 10 mTorr, and with a combination of biases at 2 MHz, 60 MHz and 162 MHz performed at powers of approximately 200 W, 200 W and 2300 W, respectively. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer comprises greater than approximately 25 wt % boron and greater than approximately 50 wt % carbon. 
     
     
       9. A method of patterning a film, the method comprising:
 etching a boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with a plasma based on a combination of CH 4 /N 2 /O 2  and a flourine-rich source selected from the group consisting of CF 4 , SF 6  and C 2 F 6 , the etching comprising:
 etching with a first set of plasma conditions using a chemistry based on approximately 40 sccm COS, approximately 105 sccm O 2 , approximately 20 sccm CF 4 , approximately 20 sccm N 2 , approximately 50 sccm CH 4 , and approximately 100 sccm Ar, at a pressure of approximately 10 mTorr, and with a combination of biases at 2 MHz, 60 MHz and 162 MHz performed at powers of approximately 200 W, 200 W and 100 W, respectively; and, then, 
 etching with a second set of plasma conditions using a chemistry based on approximately 40 sccm COS, approximately 105 sccm O 2 , approximately 20 sccm CF 4 , approximately 20 sccm N 2 , approximately 50 sccm CH 4 , and approximately 100 sccm Ar, at a pressure of approximately 10 mTorr, and with a combination of biases at 2 MHz, 60 MHz and 162 MHz performed at powers of approximately 200 W, 200 W and 2300 W, respectively. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein etching the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer comprises using the flourine-rich source to remove boron from the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer by forming a volatile species selected from the group consisting of BF x , BH x F y , wherein x and y are non-negative numbers. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer comprises greater than approximately 25 wt % boron and greater than approximately 50 wt % carbon. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 prior to etching the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with the plasma, depositing the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer above a substrate using a hydrocarbon precursor selected from the group consisting of methane (CH 4 ), propylene (C 3 H 6 ), propyne (C 3 H 4 ), propane (C 3 H 8 ), butane (GPO, butylenes (C 4 H 8 ), butadiene (C 4 H 6 ), acetelyne (C 2 H 2 ), toluene (C 7 H 8  (C 6 H 5 CH 3 )) and mixtures thereof, with diborane (B 2 H 6 ). 
 
     
     
       13. A method of patterning a film, the method comprising:
 etching a boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with a plasma based on a gas selected from the group consisting of CH 4 , N 2  and O 2 , and based on a flourine-rich source selected from the group consisting of CF 4 , SF 6  and C 2 F 6 , wherein etching the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with the plasma comprises first etching with a first set of plasma conditions, and then etching with a second, different, set of plasma conditions, and wherein the first etching with the first set of plasma conditions and the etching with the second set of plasma conditions comprises using a same set of gases with differing flow rates for the first and second set of plasma conditions. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein etching the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer comprises using the flourine-rich source to remove boron from the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer by forming a volatile species selected from the group consisting of BF x , BH x F y , wherein x and y are non-negative numbers. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer comprises greater than approximately 25 wt % boron and greater than approximately 50 wt % carbon. 
     
     
       16. A method of patterning a film, the method comprising:
 etching a boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with a plasma based on a gas selected from the group consisting of CH 4 , N 2  and O 2 , and based on a flourine-rich source selected from the group consisting of CF 4 , SF 6  and C 2 F 6 , wherein etching the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer with the plasma comprises first etching with a first set of plasma conditions, and then etching with a second, different, set of plasma conditions, wherein the first etching with the first set of plasma conditions and the etching with the second set of plasma conditions comprises using a same pressure for the first and second set of plasma conditions, and wherein first etching with the first set of plasma conditions comprises etching at a pressure of approximately 10 mTorr, and with a combination of biases at 2 MHz, 60 MHz and 162 MHz performed at powers of approximately 200 W, 200 W and 100 W, respectively, and wherein etching with the second set of plasma conditions comprises etching at a pressure of approximately 10 mTorr, and with a combination of biases at 2 MHz, 60 MHz and 162 MHz performed at powers of approximately 200 W, 200 W and 2300 W, respectively. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein etching the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer comprises using the flourine-rich source to remove boron from the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer by forming a volatile species selected from the group consisting of BF x , BH x F y , wherein x and y are non-negative numbers. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the boron-doped amorphous carbon layer comprises greater than approximately 25 wt % boron and greater than approximately 50 wt % carbon.

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